Competition Commission of India (CCI)

Before 2009, India policed monopolies with a law written in 1969, back when the economy ran on licences and quotas. The Competition Commission of India replaced that entire approach. It now decides which corporate mergers can go ahead, and which cannot.

MCQ Questions

Competition Commission of India

20 May 2009

CCI’s core powers, on anti-competitive conduct, took effect

Established under the Competition Act, 2002, incorporated 14 October 2003.

Composition

1 Chair + 2-6 Members

Appointed by the Centre; 5-year term each.

Investigates Via

Director General

CCI’s own investigative arm, before final orders.

Merger Review

150-Day Clock

Deal can’t close until cleared, or the clock runs out.

Appeal Route

NCLAT → Supreme Court

60 days to appeal a CCI order.

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1Must Know
2Good to Know
3Test Yourself
4Great to Know
5Current Affairs

Must Know

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) was established under the Competition Act, 2002. It was incorporated as a body corporate on 14 October 2003.
CCI’s core powers, covering anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominance, took effect only on 20 May 2009. This is the date most treat as its real operational start.
CCI’s mandate is to eliminate practices that harm competition, promote and sustain competition in markets, protect consumer interests, and ensure freedom of trade for market participants.
CCI consists of a Chairperson and two to six other Members, all appointed by the Central Government. Each holds office for a five-year term, and is not eligible for reappointment after completing it.
Members and the Chairperson must have at least 15 years of professional experience, in fields like economics, law, finance, commerce, or industry.

Good to Know

CCI’s powers fall into three categories: adjudicatory, regulatory, and advisory.
CCI investigates complaints through its own Director General, an investigative arm, before the Commission itself passes binding orders.
Mergers, amalgamations, and acquisitions above notified asset or turnover thresholds must be pre-notified to CCI. The regime is mandatory and suspensory: the deal cannot close until CCI clears it, or a 150-day review period passes, whichever comes first.
Under Section 27 of the Act, CCI can pass final orders and impose penalties on violators.
A CCI order can be appealed to the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), within 60 days. From there, the final appeal goes to the Supreme Court of India.

Test Yourself

Great to Know

CCI did not invent India’s competition oversight, it replaced an older one. The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act, 1969, and its MRTP Commission, were repealed effective 1 September 2009, on the recommendations of the Raghavan Committee.
The MRTP-era law was built for a licence-and-quota economy. Competition law under CCI is built for an open, post-liberalisation one, focused on market dominance and merger control rather than simply capping firm size.
CCI sits alongside other economic regulators, not above them. See Polity0036 — Regulatory Bodies Governing India’s Economy for how it fits alongside SEBI, TRAI, and RBI.
CCI’s merger-review clock, 150 days, is a deliberate ceiling, not a target. In practice, CCI often clears straightforward mergers well before that deadline.

Current Affairs

On 5 August 2026, CCI approved a combination merging several Accor-branded hotel entities into InterGlobe Hotels Private Limited (IGH).
The merging entities included AAPC India Hotel Management Pvt Ltd, Caddie Hotels Pvt Ltd, Triguna Hospitality Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd, and subsidiaries Srilanand Mansions, Techpark Hotels, and Accent Hotels.
These entities were jointly owned and controlled by the Bhatia Family Group and the Accor Group, Accor S.A.’s India hotel-management arm.
IGH owns and develops Accor-branded hotels in India, managed by AAPC India. It also leases office and commercial space, and provides consultancy services.
22 July 2026: CCI approved The Brink’s Company’s acquisition of 100% equity in NCR Atleos Corporation.
- Brink’s is a global cash and valuables management provider, operating in over 100 countries. In India, it works through Brink’s India Private Limited, mainly on cash replenishment.
- NCR Atleos manufactures and supplies ATM hardware, including from a Chennai facility, and develops and licenses ATM software and managed services.
(Source: PIB)
On 21 July 2026, the Rajya Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation presented its 257th Report, on four CCI regulations. The Committee, chaired by Milind Murli Deora, reviewed the CCI’s 2024 Commitment, Settlement, Turnover, and Penalty Guidelines regulations. (Source: PIB)
It found CCI had recovered over 98% of realisable penalties. That’s Rs 2,039.36 crore, out of Rs 2,078.87 crore due. (Source: PIB)
The Committee also urged CCI to enforce penalties more strictly, treating repeat violations as an aggravating factor. It also called for better protection for MSMEs and startups, from monopolistic practices by larger firms. (Source: PIB)
On 15 July 2026, CCI approved Opal Bidco’s acquisition of 100% shareholding in STT GDC.
- STT GDC is a Singapore-based data centre provider, present in India via STT Global Data Centres India.
- Opal Bidco is backed by KKR. Other investors gaining economic interest include Singtel and Mubadala’s MIC Entity.
(Source: PIB)
On 13 July 2026, CCI imposed penalties on HP India and several resellers, across two related orders, for cartelisation. In the Personal Systems case, HP India was fined ₹126.87 crore, with five resellers fined a combined ₹1.22 crore. (Source: PIB, PIB)
In the Supplies case (toner, cartridges, and other consumables), HP India was fined ₹11.98 crore, with sixteen resellers fined a combined ₹2.30 crore. Both orders came under Section 27 of the Competition Act, 2002.
CCI found HP India dictated bid prices to resellers, and manipulated GeM tender participation by withholding authorisation, to benefit itself. Both cases arose from a leniency application HP India itself had filed under Section 46. (Source: PIB, PIB)
On 1 July 2026, CCI approved a consortium’s acquisition of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCB). The consortium bought 100% of RCB’s shareholding. RCB owns the Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL and WPL franchises.
The consortium includes Big Banyan Holdings (Aditya Birla Group) and Bolt IPL Holdings. It also includes Times Internet and Times Cricket, both part of the Times Group. Two more members round it out: ICQ Opportunities (ICONIQ Group) and Asia Investment Topco II, a Blackstone Inc. affiliate.
The deal was reported at ₹16,660 crore, an all-cash transaction.